Longing For The Background Music
At many points in his life, he intended to go in one direction, until Hashem pushed him back on the road to return.
Business Success 101
With the warm reception they had received in Manchester, and with both Aaron and Rivka preferring quieter areas and smaller communities to the hustle and bustle of London, they decided to move there.
A Perilous Risk
Was their recent commitment strong enough to prevail against this dramatic test?
The Power Of Prayer
The more we know and understand, the more focus and intention we put into our prayers, the more powerful they are.
God For President!
To which kingdom do we belong? Which government are we loyal to? By what criteria do we allocate our fealty?
Personal Pesach Reflections
Nothing beats some preparation to make it a memorable Seder!
Down-To-Earth Deeds Develop Into Diamonds
"An animal also has an instinct to care for its young, but you are doing more than that. You are performing chesed, an act of kindness for another human being. Does it matter that he also happens to be your son?"
Remembering Hurricane Sandy As We Approach Rosh Hashanah
"Only a Navi or a fool can say why it occurred - and we don't have Neviim any longer."
Back on the Field Again
Shlomo Veingrad has traveled further for his speaking engagements than even during his days in the NFL, crisscrossing America and speaking around the world.
New Tehillim Aims To Add Meaning To Rote Ritual
“Presentation is very important. Judaism is not necessarily appealing to a lot of people and you want to make it as attractive as possible,” said Rabbi Chaim Miller, founder of the Kol Menachem publishing house.
From Center Field To Center Stage: The Journeys Of NFLer Alan Veingrad
In 1992 the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII. Among the members of the team was a young Jewish man named Alan Veingrad. Alan, now Shlomo, became frum several years later and found a much more significant calling: as an in-demand speaker he captivates Jewish and non-Jewish audiences around the world with lessons from his football days and from his teshuva journey.
The Voice of a Child
Children should be seen and not heard. It was a maxim that I heard many times throughout my childhood and which caused me a fair amount of frustration. When, I often wondered, would I cross that invisible line and move out of the periphery to which I was assigned, into the arena of adulthood and be given the chance to express an opinion that people would listen to?
The Home-Run Hitter
Twenty-five years ago, when kiruv was still a relatively new concept, a group of four young rabbis left Ner Yisrael with families in tow to head down south to Atlanta, Georgia. Rabbi David Silverman was one of those pioneers who founded the Atlanta Scholars Kollel. He is a powerhouse of kiruv – his charisma, sincerity and broad knowledge have helped him inspire thousands of Jews, including this writer.
The Soul of the Stranger
From elected officials to people in the street, from the highly educated secular upper class to yeshiva students to the working poor, numerous Israelis seem to share a lexicon and intellectual framework which denigrates and dehumanizes Africans, belittles their suffering, and trivialized their plight.
The Torah Source For Covering One’s Hair
We recently layned Parshas Naso which contains the Biblical source for the obligation of a married woman to cover her hair. An eesha sotah is a woman whose husband suspects her of having acted immorally. The Torah commands the Kohein to take various steps to demonstrate that the sotah has deviated from the modest and loyal path of most married Jewish women (Rashi 5:15-27). Among the procedures, the pasuk clearly states: “ufora es rosh haisha…” and he shall uncover the hair of the head of the woman (5:18).
A Revolutionary Rabbinic Idea For Organ Donations
JERUSALEM – A leading Orthodox rabbi in Israel has a revolutionary proposal for the harvesting of organs from a clinically dead patient. At present, his proposal not only has no support from other rabbis, it is also against Israeli law – but he is not fazed.
My Pleasant Dreams – 851 Of Them
Prior to the Knesset vote on the Regulation Law, which was defeated on June 6, I visited the protest tent where people were on a hunger strike and I realized we are again going through what we went through in the days before the destruction of Gush Katif.
Cold Soup
If you ask someone coming out of church on a Sunday, "Do you believe in G-d?" the worshipper will be shocked.
"What type of question is that? Of course I do!"
A Very Bad Hair Day
Tina was in my kindergarten class last year. Each day Tina’s hair flew all around her. It would tumble into her eyes and she would bat at it periodically throughout the day just to see. Sometimes I’d use whatever hair accessory I had at hand - even just a rubber band - to put Tina’s hair out of her face.
Daily Midot Program
Our Mission:
When it comes to Chesed the Jewish people are at the front of the line. We’ve tackled Chesed and everyone is aware of the unbelievable work and generosity that we are involved in. Now it’s time to take on a new, more difficult challenge: Middot (character trait).
The Ultimate Title Match
Pesach is the time of redemption and salvation, which can often come from the most unexpected sources. Such is the story of a boxing title fight in Yankee Stadium that launched a young boy from Russia on a journey to discover his Jewish heritage in Israel.
A True Commitment
In the vernacular of our sages and in our prayers, Pesach is titled, “Z’man chayrusaynu- Time of our freedom.” Although we did attain freedom at the time of our redemption from Egypt, titling the holiday as such doesn’t seem to encapsulate the root of the holiday’s greatness.
Why Do We Read The Megillah?
On Purim we read Megillas Esther twice, once by night and once by day. It is uncertain what the nature of the obligation is.
Yoram Ettinger: Purim Guide for the Perplexed 2012
Purim is the holiday of contradictions and tenacity-driven-optimism: Grief replaced by joy; Esther's concealment replaced by the disclosure of her national/religious identity; Haman's intended genocide of the Jews replaced by redemption; Haman replaced by Mordechai; national and personal pessimism replaced by optimism.
Ahavas Yisroel and Compassion for Fellow Jews
Do you really care about your fellow Jew? Take the following test to see if your Ahavas Yisroel Quotient is on par with requirements established by Chazal.
Inside Purim: Even More Fascinating And Intriguing Insights On Purim And The Megillah
These are excerpts from the sefer “Inside Purim” which contains additional answers to the following questions and much more.
Inside Purim: Insights On Purim And The Megillah
These are excerpts from the sefer Inside Purim, which contains additional answers to the following questions and much more.
A Summary of Chanukah Laws
The following general overview of Chanukah laws - Chag Sameach!
Tasting the “Heat” of the Torah
As a Baal Teshuva who discovered the “emes” about eight years ago, I am often asked by my FFB friends in my very FFB neighborhood to describe what inspired my wife and I to take the plunge and more specifically, what it feels like to lead a Torah observant life after so many years of living on the “other side.”
Torah Live’s Mezuzah Presentation – A New Approach To An Ancient Mitzvah
Nowadays, Jewish parents and educators must ask themselves how they can present Torah and mitzvot in a way that speaks to this generation. To many youth today, Judaism’s rich heritage seems outdated, irrelevant and boring.